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EPISODE 21 – Thursday 1st July 2021 – Purple penguins; Shackleton’s Scouts book launch; and the ReQuest interview with British adventurer James Ketchell. On 1st February 2014, James became the first and only person to have rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, successfully summit Mount Everest and cycle 18,000 miles around the world, in what the media dubbed ‘The Ultimate Triathlon’.

In 2019 James flew his open cockpit gyroplane over 24,000 nautical miles circumnavigating the planet in 175 days to set the first Fédération Aéronautique Internationale ratified flight around the world, for an aircraft of its type. The mission was to inspire a million young people in classrooms over the world to pursue their own goals and dreams.

It was an inauspicious start for James; in 2008 he was recovering from a serious motorcycle accident that had left him with broken legs and a severely broken and dislocated ankle. The prognosis was that he would likely suffer a permanent walking impairment and would certainly not be able to continue the active physical lifestyle he had so enjoyed.

Not all James adventures have been easy! He survived two mid ocean rescues and on one he found himself clinging to a rope ladder on the side of a 100,000-tonne oil tanker as he climbed to safety in storm force winds in the Indian Ocean.

Having spent much of his teenage years struggling with no ambition and very little confidence, leaving school with no qualifications and spending most of his early days in bed. James has spent the last ten years passionately working to inspire young people, as well as sharing his lessons learned with companies around the world.

A podcast documenting the Kent Scouts #ReQuest2021 Research Project all the way to Antarctica and back again! Interviews, Scouting historical links, events and research project work recorded along the way. Part of Alan Noake’s Antarctic Soundscapes project.

Show Notes

James Ketchell’s Website:
http://jamesketchell.net

The Ultimate Triathlon book by James Ketchell:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Triathlon-James-Ketchell-ebook/dp/B01LY3GGN6

Limited-Edition Purple Penguin Badges on eBay:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265212275777

Shackleton’s Scouts book by Alan S. Noake:
http://www.shackletonsscouts.co.uk

Visit our Fundraising Ladder for different ways to follow and support the project including our infamous Penguin Badges, Antarctic Top Trumps, Social Media pages and lots more…
www.fundraisingladder.co.uk/ReQuest2021

REQUEST2021 Objective 7: PLYMOUTH – Participate in the Devon and Cornwall Polar Society centenary event in Plymouth. (Heritage)

To be held on Friday, 24 September 2021 at the Duke of Cornwall Hotel, 23 Millbay Road, Plymouth PL1 3LG

Programme

0900 – 0930: Registration

0930 – 0945: Welcome by Paul Davies – President DCPS

0945 – 1045: Jan Chojecki – “John Quiller Rowett and the Quest”.

1045 – 1115: Tea / coffee break

1115 – 1140: Don Kerr – “My Grandfather: Engineer on “Endurance” and “Quest”

1140 – 1200: An update from Ireland: The restoration of Shackleton`s cabin at Athy.

This will depend on Covid restrictions between Ireland and UK

1200 – 1400: Buffet Lunch

During the lunch break a centenary plaque will be unveiled at the Hotel by Hon Alexandra Shackleton and Jan Chojecki to commemorate the departure of the “Shackleton-Rowett Expedition” from Millbay Dock, Plymouth. The plaque will be permanently sited at Millbay Dock.

1400 – 1500: Alan Noake. -“Shackleton`s Scouts”

1500 – 1530: Tea / coffee break

1530 – 1615: Paul Hart – “Commemorating Shackleton – Crossing the Antarctic Peninsular for Science and Exploration”

1615 – 1630: Closing words.

During the breaks we hope to be showing film of the “Quest” in the foyer along with an exhibition of appropriate artefacts.

MORE INFORMATION ON: DCPS (devonandcornwallpolarsociety.org.uk)

PLEASE NOTE: this event will be governed by any Covid19 regulations applicable at the time.

Our annual Quest treasure hunt has raised over £600 for the project.

This year’s Quest was won by Cathy & Val Mummery. Over 50 households took part and had to solve clues all over the world from the comfort of their own homes during lockdown. It all culminated in trying to find the elusive Silver Suitcase which was in finally found in the longest UK place name village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!

The ReQuest2021 team are delighted to be partnering with another polar project – Antarctic Quest 21 taking place early in 2022. There is certainly a common ethos shared between the two projects. The Antarctic Quest 21 team will kindly be helping some of the ReQuest2021 team capture research data.

The Antarctic Quest 21 expedition is all about highlighting the values and the spirit of the heroic pioneers of Antarctic Exploration and in particular Sir Ernest Shackleton. It is also about undertaking a journey that will allow the team to contribute to the scientific understanding of what is happening in Antarctica and what this means to every one of us. Finally, it is about extending that knowledge to future generations so that they may also be inspired by the science and adventure of what our forebears have done.

Find out more about their project on http://www.antarcticquest21.com

Shackleton’s Scouts – Online Presentation 5pm on Sunday 6th December 2020.

Sign up now: £6 a ticket.

All funds will go to the ReQuest2021 Project

BOOKING LINK

“Sir Ernest Shackleton’s final Quest expedition marked the end of what has now become known as the heroic age of exploration. In 1921 King George V was on the throne and David Lloyd George was prime minister. Back then two boy scouts were selected from around 1700 other scouts to represent Scouting, King and Country by joining Shackleton on the expedition of a lifetime to Antarctica. Alan tells the story from the perspective of the two Scouts and how it changed their lives to be part of this important historic expedition. He then gives an overview of his plans for Kent Scouts to recreate a similar research expedition 100 years later in 2021.”

Zoom Login Details will be sent out just before the event.

BOOKING LINK